Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional support he is providing to primary care providers to vaccinate housebound patients.

For patients living in the community who usually receive treatments at home and are generally classed as housebound, general practitioners will determine the best approach to vaccination alongside the community teams, based on their knowledge of the patient and circumstances. Some of these patients may be able to attend Primary Care Network (PCN) designated sites with assistance and discussion should be held with the family and /or carer to facilitate this process. However, we recognise there will be a cohort of patients who are completely housebound and unable to travel to a PCN designated site for immunisation even with assistance.

PCNs have established roving vaccination teams aimed at those who cannot leave their homes. These teams have already been used for care homes and will also focus on people who are housebound, with additional funding of £10 per patient being provided to help them do this.